New Afreximbank Centre to Support African Traders and Entrepreneurs
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has marked a major milestone with the groundbreaking of the Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC) in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, which will also house the Bank’s new global headquarters.
Located in the Diplomatic District, about 45 kilometres east of Cairo, the centre will be the first facility of its kind in North Africa and is expected to play a central role in advancing trade facilitation, investment and continental economic integration.
Speaking at the ceremony, Egypt’s Prime Minister Dr Mostafa Madbouly said the project reflected Egypt’s strategic role in promoting African trade and integration. He noted that, as host of Afreximbank’s headquarters, Egypt was proud to deepen its partnership with the institution through a landmark development that would serve as a hub for trade intelligence, innovation and capacity building.
Afreximbank President and Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr George Elombi thanked the Government of Egypt for its continued support since the Bank’s establishment in 1993. He said Egypt had hosted the Bank’s headquarters for more than three decades and remained its largest sovereign shareholder through the Central Bank of Egypt.
Dr Elombi said the new Trade Centre would address longstanding challenges faced by African businesses, particularly limited access to trade and investment information, which has constrained intra-African trade for decades.
He described the relationship between Afreximbank and Egypt as mutually beneficial, revealing that the Bank has disbursed more than US$41 billion into the Egyptian economy to date. These investments have supported key sectors including energy, telecommunications, construction and manufacturing, while strengthening Egypt’s trade and investment links with the rest of Africa.
The Afreximbank African Trade Centre in Cairo is expected to position Egypt as a major continental trade hub. The complex will house technology and SME incubation centres, a digital African trade gateway and facilities providing trade information, customer due diligence, payments and other digital services.
The Cairo development forms part of Afreximbank’s wider strategy to establish a network of African Trade Centres in major commercial hubs across Africa and the Caribbean, aimed at accelerating intra-African trade, strengthening economic cooperation and supporting private sector growth.
Built on a 48,888-square-metre site, the complex will comprise two basement levels and six floors, with a total built-up area of 156,147 square metres. It will provide office space for Afreximbank’s expanding workforce, as well as accommodation for African and international trade, finance and investment institutions, including selected diplomatic missions.
Facilities will include a trade information centre, a world-class library and knowledge hub, an innovation and SME incubation centre, a business centre, a 110-room aparthotel, a 750-seat conference centre, an exhibition centre, retail and dining outlets, and a 1,200-bay parking facility.
The design incorporates interconnected buildings arranged around a landscaped internal street, creating collaborative spaces that integrate work, learning and leisure. The development is designed to achieve Gold-level LEED certification or higher, incorporating energy-efficient systems, solar power, water-saving technologies and climate-responsive architecture.
Hassan Allam Construction has been appointed as the main contractor under a US$249.5 million contract, while EHAF Consulting Engineers is responsible for architectural design and project supervision.
The project is expected to generate significant employment during construction and ongoing operations, benefiting local contractors, suppliers, SMEs and service providers. Completion is scheduled for early 2029.
The Cairo groundbreaking follows the launch of similar Afreximbank Trade Centres in Abuja, Barbados, with projects also underway in Harare and Kampala. Future hubs are planned in Abidjan, Yaoundé, Kigali and Tunis, forming a continent-wide network connecting African and global trade stakeholders.
